Christopher Crawford: Documentary Photography

An Abandoned Church on Hoagland Road

This abandoned church is at the corner of Hoagland Road and Clayton Road in southeast Allen County, Indiana. It was being used as a barn by the farmer who owned it. I have seen many old schoolhouses in Indiana repurposed as barns, but this is the first church that I have seen used this way.

I discovered it while driving to the nearby town of Monroeville back in January, 2008. The weather was bad that day, as it was very windy, so I marked the map and vowed to return.

I made these photographs on my third trip there, the first time I was able to find the right light without a lot of wind. It was Easter Sunday, and rain began to fall as I was working.